Category: Dailies

Catching up …

by Ben Catley

Well, let’s try to get you caught up on former Osprey news as the Winter Meetings are winding down …

– I originally wrote this last week, so it was a good thing I didn’t publish it. Little did I think that Ender Inciarte (2009) was going to be picked in the Rule V Draft. Especially in the Major League portion. Yet, that happened earlier today, as Inciarte is now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Go figure … oh, by the way, he now enters the top spot in the “Next Osprey to make Major League Debut” list. If he sticks on the 25-man roster – and all indications are that he has a chance, because he would have a specific role – he would be the 40th former Osprey to make a Major League roster. Continue reading →

Breaking down the 2013 Schedule … somewhat

by Ben Catley

Now that the 2013 Pioneer Baseball League schedule is out, I can sit back, take a look at it, and see things that Osprey fans have not seen for a while – and I can’t ever remember seeing. (I also love it when I see some of this stuff and immediately think of ideas for the Osprey record book …)

Here are some things that jumped out to me – some of which I like, some which I am not sold on, but will probably find just fine as 2013 rolls on. Continue reading →

Eaton, Elmore are Topps Triple-A All-Stars

Both Adam Eaton and Jake Elmore have been named Topps Triple-A All-Stars this week. Eaton, a 2010 member of the Missoula Osprey, and Elmore, a 2008 Osprey alumnus, both made the squad for their efforts this past season for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Read the full story on Eaton and Elmore here, and more on the Triple-A All-Star Team here.

 

The Top 3 Games of 2012 – Nos. 1 and 2

by Ben Catley

(NOTE: I apologize for the delay in getting this out. Let’s just say that I’ve run into problems with (1) Getting back into the blog (and, of all things, it was a missing 1 in the land of 1s and 0s that solved the problem!) and (2) the audio accompaniant … which will get added soon.)

Ahh … now the debate is sure to begin. We have already revealed the five nominated games that did not make the top two, including the No. 3 game as selected by our fans and a panel of experts. Now it’s time to reveal the order of the other two.

If you missed it, the two games we have not revealed in our countdown – September 5, 2012 and September 14, 2012. The fans split on these two – the Bird Droppings poll had September 5 come out on top, while the MissoulaOsprey.com poll went to September 14. Continue reading →

The Top 3 Games of 2012 – No. 3

The votes are in and have been counted, and we have our Top 3 Games of 2012. While the highlights will be uploaded to the website at MissoulaOsprey.com later tonight and tomorrow, we figured we’d at least let most of the cat out of the bag, so to speak.

The games that were voted on that did not make the grade:
4. June 25 (Mondesi-gate … the night Raul Mondesi Jr. missed home plate on what would have been a game-tying two-run home run in Helena, giving the Osprey a 2-1 win in 10 innings)
5. June 22 (Home opener, tied in extra innings on a Jake Lamb RBI triple, and won in the 13th on a walk-off double by Lamb)
6. June 27 (The 20-0 win over Helena in which Danny Pulfer hit for the cycle and Michael PErez came close to doing the same)
7. August 30 (The rally from 6-0 down to win 9-6 in Billings) Continue reading →

The polls are closed on Best Game of ’12

The polls are now closed for the voting on the Best Osprey Game of 2012. Don’t worry, if you have voted (even the “other” vote was counted, which was for June 25, by the way), it has been counted. And the results will be interesting, to say the least.

How it will work is, we’ll take the ballots from the esteemed panel and use them as one portion of the vote. The other parts will come from the polls, both on MissoulaOsprey.com and here on the blog. We can also now tell you the panel – Osprey President Mike Ellis, Executive Vice President Matt Ellis, Vice President/General Manager Jeff Griffin, GM-Operations Jared Amoss and Missoulian reporter Michael Heinbach.

We will announce the results over the next three days, beginning tomorrow afternoon/evening with No. 3 …

Eaton, Goldy and voting

by Ben Catley

Just a couple of things on this Sunday …

– Adam Eaton (2010 Osprey) is out for the rest of the season after getting hit by a pitch in his right hand during the 7th inning of Saturday’s 8-2 Arizona Diamondbacks’ win over the Chicago Cubs. X-rays showed a broken bone in the hand, so Eaton’s season is done four days earlier than planned. Eaton hit .259 in 22 games after his promotion from Triple-A Reno, with a .382 on-base percentage, three doubles, two triples, two home runs and five RBIs, plus a pair of stolen bases.

On a personal note, I finally managed to see Eaton in a D-backs’ uniform for the first time on TV on Saturday night. He had hits in his first two at-bats, which I missed, then was retired in his next two at-bats, which I managed to watch. I missed the HBP in the 7th, so go figure.

We shall see what the D-backs do with Eaton in 2013. Once he was promoted, he became an everyday player at the top of the lineup – something the D-backs sorely needed. It will provide plenty of great off-season hot stove talk, I’m sure.

– Wanted to see four former Osprey in the D-backs’ lineup last night, but Paul Goldschmidt (2009) was out of the lineup with a stiff back. Nothing serious, though, which is good news. By the way, the other two who were in the lineup – catcher Miguel Montero (2002-03) and outfielder Gerardo Parra (2006). Montero has put together quite a 2012 season, a solid follow-up from his breakout 2011 campaign, and Parra is Parra, hitting enough, playing great defense and getting plenty of chances to play, despite being the fourth outfielder.

– Finally, want to remind you to vote (even if you have already, you are allowed to vote again) on your favorite game of the 2012 Osprey baseball season. Beginning on Tuesday, October 2 (I had to push it back a day due to life happening), we will announce the top three games, and post audio highlights of each game to our website at MissoulaOsprey.com. The results will come from three sources:
*Voting on the Bird Droppings blog
*Voting on MissoulaOsprey.com
*The results from our esteemed panel of Osprey baseball experts – which may surprise you. Or not …

The top three will be announced beginning on Tuesday. In the meantime, it’s back to the lab to figure out what poll to come up with next …

It’s the finale, and here are the lineups for it

This is it. The last game of the year. And it means the whole marbles are on the line. Every last color, style and size in the pack is on the line tonight.

And have the Missoula Osprey have made this their stick over the last week-plus, or what?

They have played in a must-win situation three prior times to tonight – Sept. 6-7 vs. Billings, and in the decider Sept. 9 at Great Falls – and won them all. So tonight’s Pioneer Baseball League Championship Series Game 3 with the Ogden Raptors at Lindquist Field enters that realm.

However, to be fair, there are some things to point out on both sides:
– The Osprey have won 2 of 5 Game 3s played in during the post-season, but won their last one. Both of those Game 3 wins came against Great Falls.
– The Raptors hadn’t won a Championship Series game until last night, dropping their first nine tries.
– Both teams are looking to end a title drought of sorts. The Osprey haven’t won since 2006, while Ogden last won a Pioneer League title before there was a playoff system in place, in 1969.
– Incidentally, that 1969 title – all of 43 years ago – came on the tail end of a four-year reign as PBL champs for Ogden, a record that has been approached but not equaled since.
– Little-known fact – the Osprey have made the playoffs now in four of the seven seasons there has been an Arizona League team in existence at the same time (1999, 2001, 2011 and 2012).

So what does that all mean for tonight? Likely … nothing, unless you make it into something to grab on to. Which, of course, is why we point it out.

Enough delving into stuff … on to the lineups, which will follow the usual radio stuff. Pre-game will be at 6:45 tonight, first pitch at 7:00 on AM 930 and online at MissoulaOsprey.com. At the moment, pre-game interview is TBA.

Anyway, here’s who both managers are starting tonight:

Missoula (41-35)
14 Pedro Ruiz SS
9 Danny Pulfer 2B
18 Jake Lamb 3B
7 Michael Perez C
19 Socrates Brito RF
21 Breland Almadova CF
15 Alex Glenn LF
26 Yosbel Gutierrez DH
30 Tyler Bream 1B
48 Yoimer Camacho RHP

Ogden (44-32)
12 Delvis Morales 2B
40 Noel Cuevas LF
33 Jeremy Rathjen RF
17 Jesus Valdez 1B
46 Corey Seager SS
34 Paul Hoenecke DH
10 Jose Capellan C
27 Bladimir Franco 3B
5 Malcolm Holland CF
36 Ross Stripling RHP

 

Lineups for Game 2 of Championship Series

Well, the lineups are posted and it’s getting closer to the start of Game 2 of the Pioneer League Championship Series, with the Osprey holding a 1-0 series lead over the Ogden Raptors. Ross Gerdeman gets the call to make the start in Game 2 for the Osprey, while Lindsey Caughel will get the ball for the Raptors.

The pre-game show will start around 6:40 – we’re moving it up to get everything in – with the first pitch slated for 7:00 on AM 930 KMPT and online at MissoulaOsprey.com. Danny Pulfer (yes, the interview we didn’t get to air in Missoula) will be the pre-game show guest.

Anyway, here are tonight’s lineups …

Missoula Osprey (41-35)
14 Pedro Ruiz SS
9 Danny Pulfer DH
18 Jake Lamb 3B
7 Michael Perez C
19 Socrates Brito RF
21 Breland Almadova CF
15 Alex Glenn LF
33 Rudy Flores 1B
38 Andrew Velazquez 2B
24 Ross Gerdeman RHP

Ogden Raptors (44-32)
12 Delvis Morales 2B
25 Eric Smith C
33 Jeremy Rathjen RF
17 Jesus Valdez 1B
46 Corey Seager SS
40 Noel Cuevas LF
34 Paul Hoenecke DH
27 Bladimir Franco 3B
5 Malcolm Holland CF
47 Lindsey Caughel RHP

Lineups and notes from Championship Game 1

OK Osprey faithful … here we go.

Game 1 of the Pioneer Baseball League Championship Series between the Osprey and the Ogden Raptors is getting closer to starting here. In a little over an hour, it’s go time.

More on the matchup in the notes below. Danny Pulfer is our Pre-game show guest. We’re on the air at 6:50, with the first pitch slated for 7:15 on AM 930 KMTP and online at MissoulaOsprey.com.

To the lineups and beyond …

Missoula Osprey (41-35, North Division winner)

1 14 Pedro Ruiz SS
.313, 2 HR, 19 RBI
2 9 Danny Pulfer DH
.285, 2 HR, 27 RBI
3 18 Jake Lamb 3B
.329, 9 HR, 57 RBI
4 7 Michael Perez C
.293, 10 HR, 60 RBI
5 19 Socrates Brito RF
.312, 4 HR, 39 RBI
6 21 Breland Almadova CF
.306, 1 HR, 28 RBI
7 15 Alex Glenn LF
.300, 6 HR, 17 RBI
8 33 Rudy Flores 1B
.296, 3 HR, 32 RBI
9 38 Andrew Velazquez 2B
.220, 0 HR, 4 RBI
P 8 Chris Thomas P

Ogden Raptors (44-32, South Division winner)

1 12 Delvis Morales 2B
.341, 0 HR, 15 RBI
2 25 Eric Smith DH
.336, 3 HR, 55 RBI
3 33 Jeremy Rathjen RF
.324, 9 HR, 53 RBI
4 17 Jesus Valdez 1B
.324, 9 HR, 62 RBI
5 46 Corey Seager SS
.309, 8 HR, 33 RBI
6 18 Devin Shines LF
.304, 8 HR, 34 RBI
7 10 Jose Capellan C
.338, 1 HR, 20 RBI
8 27 Bladimir Franco 3B
.282, 2 HR, 12 RBI
9 5 Malcolm Holland CF
.244, 0 HR, 15 RBI
P 22 Miguel Sulbaran P
The Skinny:
Game 1 of the Best-of-3 Pioneer League Championship Series will take place tonight, with the Osprey looking to make it three straight teams from the North to win a PBL title, and chasing their first since 2006. Ogden is seeking its first title since the two-division format began, not having won a title since 1969.

How They Got Here:
The Missoula Osprey beat the Great Falls Voyagers in three games to win the North Division Series for the first time since 2009. Chris Pack won Game 1 for the Osprey, an 8-3 triumph, while Yoimer Camacho pitched five innings in the 4-2 Game 3 series-clincher. Danny Pulfer hit .500 for the series, while Michael Perez was 3-for-8 (.375) in the series. The Osprey hit .258 as a team, but their pitching was the story, posting a 2.73 ERA in the three games.

The Ogden Raptors fended off the Grand Junction Rockies in three games to advance to their second straight Championship Series. Eric Smith (.583), Heremy Rathjen (.462) and Corey Seager (.444) paced the batters, while Lindsay Caughel putched eight innings in a no-decision in Game 1 (2.25) ERA. The Raptors hit .280 against the Rockies, while their pitchers finished with a 5.23 ERA in a high-scoring series.

Team records set for hitting, postseason and attendance:
There was a handful of Osprey history set in 2012:
– The Osprey set a new single-season attendance record, finishing 188 people shy of the 90,000 mark, finishing with a single-season best total of 89,812 fans.
– For the first time in 14 seasons, the Osprey are in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. It’s also the seventh time the Osprey have won 40 or more games in a season, with six of those campaigns ending with a post-season berth (2000 being the only exception).
– The Osprey hit .288 for the season, which bested the previous mark of .284, set in the 1999 and 2001 seasons. The Osprey won the PBL title in 1999, and won 52 games in 2001 before falling to eventual champion Billings in the North Division Playoff Series.

On the Mound Tonight:
Missoula will send right-hander Chris Thomas to the mound as he looks to make the best of his first postseason appearance. Thomas (2-1, 3.09 ERA in 2012 season) pitched in just one inning against the Raptors during the regular season, pitching a scoreless inning of work on August 22. Thomas has been solid this season, and has come into his own as a starter. In his last two starts, spanning 11 1/3 innings, he has allowed just two runs (one earned) on eight hits and a walk, two hit batsmen and struck out 11 batters. This includes a clutch seven-inning outing in Billings on August 31. The Osprey have won in Thomas’ last five outings.

The Raptors will go with left-hander Miguel Sulbaran, who had made just one prior start in the Pioneer League, but has had plenty of success on the mound this past summer. Sulbaran (0-1, 5.40) allowed five hits and three runs, with one walk and four strikeouts, in five innings of work in a loss at Grand Junction last Wednesday. Sulbaran spent the rest of the season in the Arizona League, going 6-3 with a 2.51 ERA for the AZL Dodgers.  Sulbaran struck out 62 batters in 57 1/3 innings pitched, and was better on the road (2.10) than at home (2.84). His best month was in July, (2-1, 1.05), holding opponents to a .225 average. The lefty was better against right-handers (.243) than lefties (.278 during the season. (GJ lefties were 0-for-4).

Pitching Probables
Playoff Schedule
PBL Championship Series
Missoula vs. Ogden
Game 2 – Thursday, Sept. 13 at Ogden
MIS RHP Ross Gerdeman vs. OGD RHP Lindsey Caughel

Game 3 – Friday, Sept. 14 at Ogden (if necessary)

MIS RHP Yoimer Camacho vs. OGD RHP Ross Stripling

Pioneer League Champions (since 1999)
1999 – Missoula
2000 – Idaho Falls
2001 – Billings
2002 – Great Falls
2003 – Billings
2004 – Provo
2005 – Orem
2006 – Missoula
2007 – Orem
2008 – Great Falls
2009 – Orem
2010 – Helena
2011 – Great Falls

NOTE: Ogden won four titles from 1966-69.

 

By The Numbers (2012 Regular Season):

Current Streak:

W4

 Extra Innings:

6-4

 Team Hitting:

.288
First Half:

18-20

 Lead After 5:

24-7

 PL Rank:

3rd
Second Half:

23-15

 Tied After 5:

11-2

 Team Pitching:

4.68
June:

7-6

 Trail After 5:

6-26

 PL Rank:

3rd
July:

13-15

 One-run games:

12-10

 Longest Winning Streak:

5 games
August:

17-12

 Two-run games:

6-6

 Longest Losing Streak

6 games
September:

4-2

 Three-run games:

9-1

 HR total at home:

23
Score First:

23-10

 +3-run games:

14-18

 Pitching K total:

683
Score Last:

20-11

 Shutout Record:

5-4

 Pitching K/9IP Ratio:

8.97
Reaching 11-hit Mark:

24-5

  

Peanut Inning Success:

17/38

PBL Championship Series Comparison:

Reg. Season

Missoula

Ogden
Home Record

21-17

23-15
Road Record

20-18

21-17
Hitting

.288

.292
Lg. Rank

3rd

2nd
Pitching

4.68

4.93
Lg. Rank

3rd

4th
Home Runs

51

55
HR Allowed

68

58
Team OBP

.361

.378
Team Slug. %

.428

.436
Team OPS

.789

.814
Head to Head

Missoula

Ogden
Home W-L

1-2

3-1
Road W-L

1-3

2-1
HTH Avg.

.285

.316
HTH ERA

6.82

4.50
HTH OBP

.359

.396
HTH Slugging

.419

.500
HTH OPS

.779

.896
Head-To-Head Team Leaders

Missoula

Ogden
Hitting

Gutierrez, .500

Franco, .538
Home Runs

Four with 1

Rathjen, 3
RBI

Brito, 7

Valdez, 11
Pitching W-L

Spilker, Triana 1-0

Five with 1
Pitching ERA

Blake, 3.00 (6 IP)

Caughel, 0.00 (7 IP)

Missoula Osprey Playoff History

Year Opponent Score
1999 @ Helena W 4-2 (11)
Helena Won
@ Billings Won
Billings Won
2001 Billings W 4-3
@ Billings L 2-6
@ Billings L 5-12
2006 Billings W 6-4
@ Billings W 10-2
Idaho Falls W 4-0
@ Idaho Falls W 7-2
2009 Great Falls W 3-2 (11)
@ Great Falls L 2-3
@ Great Falls W 16-7
@ Orem W 7-6
Orem L 0-10
Orem L 10-13
2011 @ Great Falls L 3-8
Great Falls W 11-1
Great Falls L 2-12
2012 Great Falls W 8-3
@ Great Falls L 4-5
@ Great Falls W 4-2
Ogden  
@ Ogden  
@ Ogden*  

*- if necessary

Overall Playoff Record:                                 15-8       .652
Home Playoff Record:                                   8-3          .727
Road Playoff Record:                                     7-5          .583
Divisional Round Record:                             10-6       .625
Championship Round Record:                   5-2          .714
Postseason Record vs. Ogden:                   First meeting